Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that sports should not be viewed merely as a means of winning medals, but as a powerful instrument to harness India’s sporting potential and youth energy in the journey towards building a Viksit Bharat.
Addressing the Khelo India Dialogue through video conference, the Prime Minister said the initiative had emerged as an important platform for nurturing sporting talent across the country and providing young athletes with opportunities and support to pursue their aspirations.
With National Sports Day approaching on August 29, PM Modi extended his advance greetings to the country’s youth and sporting community and recalled the contribution of legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand.
Recalling the historic tour of the Indian Army’s hockey team to New Zealand a century ago, the Prime Minister highlighted Major Dhyan Chand’s foundational role in establishing bilateral sports relations. Mentioning his own recent visit to New Zealand where he honoured the legend’s memory, he emphasized the nation’s ongoing commitment to enriching those historic ties. “The foundation of relationships that Major Dhyan Chand ji laid, today India is continuously working for the prosperity of those relationships,” said PM Modi.
The Prime Minister stressed that the value of sports extends far beyond simply winning medals. He described sports as a vital campaign to seamlessly integrate the nation’s athletic and youth power toward building a Viksit Bharat. “I have always kept saying, those who play, will blossom,” said PM Modi.
“When I talk about sports, it isn’t just about winning medals; it is a campaign to integrate India’s sports power and youth energy to build a Viksit Bharat,” he said.
PM Modi emphasised that sporting success has a multiplier effect, benefiting not only athletes but also their families, schools, districts and states. A sportsperson’s achievement, he said, can put an entire region on the global map.
“Every district has the potential to make its mark on the global sports map,” he said, stressing the need to take the Khelo India dialogue forward by tapping the sporting potential available across the country.
Focus on sports beyond traditional disciplines
The Prime Minister identified India’s limited participation in several Olympic disciplines as an area requiring urgent attention.
Referring to the 2012 Olympics, when India participated in only 13 sports, PM Modi said the country had historically remained absent from nearly half of the Olympic disciplines. He said that expanding India’s participation would be essential for substantially increasing its medal tally.
“Other countries are winning medals in sports where India does not even participate; we must master these sports as well,” he said.
He pointed to India’s diverse geography as an untapped advantage. The country’s extensive coastline and mountainous terrain, he said, provide considerable opportunities for disciplines such as surfing, sports climbing and winter sports, where India has yet to establish a strong global presence.
PM Modi called for a targeted approach in which districts identify sports suited to their geographical and demographic strengths and develop specialised sporting ecosystems around them.
National talent hunt for 2036 Olympics
The Prime Minister also outlined the importance of beginning preparations well in advance for the 2036 Olympics.
He reiterated the launch of a nationwide talent hunt covering children between the ages of five and 15. The selection process, he said, should take into account children’s interests as well as their physical suitability for particular sporting disciplines.
The government, PM Modi assured, would provide all necessary support for developing promising athletes.
“Whatever support is needed from the government for this, the government will walk shoulder to shoulder with you in it,” he said.
The Prime Minister said India is simultaneously building a modern sports ecosystem through specialised sports universities and advanced training centres. International cooperation is also being expanded to bring global best practices in sports science, coaching and training to the country.
“A system is being built in the country where, from identifying talent to taking it to the world stage, support is received at every level,” PM Modi said.
Khelo India Dialogue to shape sports policy
PM Modi described the Khelo India Dialogue as more than a platform for discussion, saying it should actively contribute to shaping India’s sporting vision.
He urged young people to use the platform to connect their individual ambitions with the country’s larger aspirations and to provide suggestions on talent development and sports governance.
“These very new ideas of youth power will become the strength for the realization of a Viksit Bharat,” he said.
The Prime Minister also underlined the broader social benefits of sports, saying sporting activity contributes to a healthy society, stronger families and a better work culture.
Sports, he said, teach people how to deal with both success and failure.
“Sports teaches us not only to become champions, but also to become better competitors; to rise, to fall, and to rise again,” he said.
Para athletes inspiring society
Highlighting the transformative impact of India’s para athletes, PM Modi said their achievements were changing societal perceptions about disability and adversity.
He cited the achievements of para athletes including archer Sheetal, double Paralympic medallist Avani Lekhara, Sumit Antil, Nitesh Kumar and Jhandu Kumar.
Their achievements, he said, bring pride not only to the athletes themselves but also to their families, states and the entire country. Their success can also strengthen the confidence and aspirations of parents and siblings who supported them through their early struggles.
“When I meet Avani, I feel very proud; every such companion inspires us,” he said.
Sports as pathway to health and fight against addiction
The Prime Minister also linked sports with quality of life and physical well-being, citing centenarian athlete Fauja Singh as an example of how lifelong physical activity can contribute to a healthy and active life.
“His life is a very big inspiration of how sports and quality of life are interconnected,” PM Modi said.
He also highlighted the role of sports in addressing substance abuse among young people. Regular participation in sporting activities, he said, can build discipline and willpower and help young people stay away from addiction.
“Today, when the challenge of addiction is so big before the youth, sports plays a very meaningful role in this too,” he said.
Sports emerging as a career and lifestyle
PM Modi noted that attitudes towards sports and fitness were changing across India, with sports increasingly being recognised as a profession as well as an integral part of everyday life.
He pointed to growing participation in triathlons, 5K and 10K races and fitness challenges such as Hyrox. Activities ranging from headstands to pickleball, he said, were becoming part of people’s daily routines alongside education and professional careers.
“This is the change, this is the transformation, due to which trust in India’s sports future is also increasing,” he said.
The Prime Minister stressed that building a strong sporting culture must begin at the grassroots level, particularly in schools. Physical education, he said, should be treated as an essential part of children’s lives rather than merely a co-curricular activity.
“Sports centres are more important than screens. Playgrounds are more important than PlayStations,” PM Modi said.
He said making sports an integral part of school life would expand India’s talent pool while also ensuring greater support for young athletes from their families.
Expanding opportunities across the sports ecosystem
PM Modi also drew attention to the expanding range of career opportunities associated with India’s growing sports ecosystem.
Beyond athletes and coaches, young people can build careers in areas such as sports equipment design, sports technology, sports medicine, nutrition, psychology and analytics, he said.
Encouraging participants in the Khelo India Dialogue to share their ideas openly, the Prime Minister said India’s youth have a critical role in shaping the country’s sporting future.
He expressed confidence that the active participation of young Indians, both on the sporting field and in society, would become an important source of national strength.
The Prime Minister concluded by reiterating that India’s sporting journey must focus not only on medals, but on creating a culture in which participation, fitness, resilience, talent development and sporting excellence become integral to the country’s march towards a Viksit Bharat.
